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Historic heights

Sancerre wines are justly famous

By Helena Baker
For The Prague Post
November 7th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
From the vineyards of Alphonse Mellot, two superb vintages.
Perched 1,000 feet atop a surprisingly steep hill jutting from the otherwise gently undulating slopes of the central Loire valley, the wine commune of Sancerre has roots that reach deep into the history of its soil.
Some insist Julius Caesar first built a settlement on this strategic spot. Others claim it was the Saxons who congregated on the hill during the reign of Charlemagne. Fortified in the Middle Ages, it is something of a secretive town — a maze of steep, narrow streets with hundreds of hidden cellars beneath.  
The name Sancerre is now well-established among oenophiles, with winemakers scarcely able to produce enough bottles to satisfy world demand. This is largely due to to an incredible singleness of  purpose by the Sancerrois to promote their wine in France and abroad.
One family that weathered many of the region’s ups and downs, the Mellots, have roots in Sancerre dating from 1513. The flamboyant Alphonse Mellot XVIII, the acknowledged king of Sancerre — otherwise referred to as the Emperor or Raging Bull — has taken the Domaine de la Moussiere into the modern age as a thriving enterprise. His cellars are a mix of the ultra-new and traditional, where wines are matured in both small oak barrels and large stainless-steel vats.  
To produce the famed white wine of Sancerre, Mellot works exclusively with the Sauvignon Blanc variety. It is here that this grape gives of its very best, establishing a benchmark for quality around the world.
This is not a whim nor even a choice, for Sauvignon Blanc is the sole white grape permitted by the wine laws in this small region. The wine is called Sancerre and never Sauvignon, a word that does not even appear on the label. Wines tend to be pale straw with subtle notes of lemon balm and a distinguishing minerality, unlike the brash nettle flavors associated with young local equivalents.  
The range starts with the simple elegance of La Moussiere. Its flagship wine, Cuvée Edmond (see notes on the 2002 below), is matured in oak and is superbly elegant. The house also produces a noteworthy red, or Sancerre Rouge, named Génération XIX, after Alphonse Junior (19th-generation Mellot), made from the Pinot Noir variety that could well put some of the big Burgundy names in the shade.  
Winery of the month   
Bonus Eventus
This is a collegium of five like-minded family winemakers, father and son Beneš, Richard Tichý, Jiří Nešpor and Karel Čapka, all hailing from the wine village of Hrušky, along with Milan Sukal Sr and Jr from nearby Nový Poddvorov. Since 2001, all have bottled their wines under the collective Bonus Eventus label. They meet regularly to compare and criticize one another’s products. Their wine primarily targets the gastronomy market, with the remainder destined for specialized wine stores and private clientele. Wines are mostly in the 100–200 Kč ($5.35–10.70) range. The newest vintage will be available at the annual cheese and wine exhibition in Hrušky next March. Otherwise, visits can be arranged to all or one of the individual cellars during the summer months. For more information, check www.bonuseventus.cz.   
Wines of the month
Foreign white: Cuvee Edmond 2002
Producer: Alphonse Mellot, Sancerre, France
Cuvée Edmond, named after Alphonse XVIII’s late father, is made from vieilles vignes, or old vines aged between 55 and 90 years. It is barrel-fermented and left to age on its lees, offering an exhilarating flavor of hot buttered toast, hazelnuts, vanilla and licorice.  (Edmond, 2,030 Kč; unoaked Domaine de la Moussiere, 920 Kč)   
Local red: Dornfelder 2006, late harvest, vineyard Tabule, Svatobořice-Mistřín
Producer: Josef Dufek, Svatobořice-Mistřín
This popular German variety has found a second home in Bohemia and Moravia. The winery produces easygoing, food-friendly vintages. This example is deep crimson in hue, while on the nose it displays refreshing fruity tones with a hint of walnuts. The palate is full and round, with crisp acidity and a zingy finish. (200 Kč)
Events diary: 
Svatomartinské víno, or St. Martin’s wine, is traditionally the first of the new vintage served on Martinmas, the saint’s name day, Nov. 11. The release immediately precedes the supposedly more sober Advent season — and the admittedly raucous Beaujolais Nouveau Nov. 15 and beyond. Almost any number of wine bars in Prague or around the country will be celebrating this event. Both events, in fact.
Helena Baker’s wine column appears the first Wednesday of each month. She can be reached atfeatures@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (7/11/2007):

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